Memo #8 Data Collection

Through a series of informal interviews and surveys with collegiate and youth soccer coaches, I analyzed the interview responses and linked to my personal coaching experience, my professional journal, and business blog, to create discussion about social construction of gender in soccer field through collegiate and youth coaches’ viewpoints.

Qualitative data analysis, open-ended questions, informal interviews, and participants observation is used in this ethnographic study. Informal Interviews were used to explore and understand in-depth coaches’ personal opinions, experiences, and perspectives. This study used three questions interview guide that was organically introduced into informal conversation with participants. The interviews went beyond the guide questions and gave an array of opinions, allowing participants to give personal insights, as well allowing myself to ask to follow up and complementary questions. Initially, interviews were performed in a face-face matter. However, towards to the end of the study, I decided to connect with other coaches that I would not be able to meet face-face. Consequently, I sent the three open-ended question that formulated the interview guide via email.  For future studies, I would recommend a better strategy to keep the notes from informal interviews and planning the word-coding before the interview. Perhaps, informal interviews may not have brought the seriousness to answer the questions with quality and patience. Additionally, face-face information interviews limited this study to only a small group of people. It would beneficial if both methods of interviews were introduced since the beginning of the study. This could provide more data, but also a better understand of the subject allowing myself to ask quality follow-up questions to the participants.

My personal coaching experience and professional journal provided knowledge to formulate and further develop the interviews. Additionally, to formulate questions for the interviews, I was able to analyze the answers during following soccer practices and games. This creates further ideas for future training sessions and give the chances to analyze gender stereotypes that were previously mentioned. Unfortunately, I did not have as much time or flexibility with the players I work with. For future research, time with target population would be essential to challenge the dynamic after receiving feedback from the interviews.

After the first four interviews, I was able to develop a business blog called She Can Score (www.shecanscore.com). The answers from interviews gave me insights that I felt important to share and create discussions with parents, coaches, and players. The blog consisted of an open library of websites that provides work towards gender equality and soccer IQ. In the blog post, I emphasize the importance of gender inequality awareness, and how important is the coaching role in the fight against gender stereotype. I was able to share this blog with all the participants of this study, the parents for the girls I coach, colleagues, and people who watched very close my personal career as a player and as a coach. Initially, the blog post was created every other week. Due to classes and work, blog post is develop every month. For future studies that are interested in the personal blog along with their research, it would be beneficial to keep ideas of the blog post and link interview answers to each topic.

Due ethical concerns, before interviews, participants were informed of the nature and interest of the study. The name of the participants was kept confidential, and their anonymity was maintained. The answers to the interviews provided information to discuss strategies to overcome or minimize the social construction of gender through coaches’ instructions and their expectations. Emphasizing the importance of gender equality awareness on girls performance.  I am hoping to create a platform where coaches, players, and parents can discuss these issues.